After Berlin, my next stop on this September adventure is Tbilisi.
I have 3 nights here to relax into my holiday and recover from the travel. Tbilisi is a 3.5 hour flight from Berlin, which in turn is 2 hours from Scotland. I could not find any sensible route to get from Scotland to Tbilisi in one day, which is why I had the – very welcome – overnight stop in Berlin.
Then you have the 3 hour time difference to factor in…
I had my first experience of Georgian Airways and it turned out well. They are using an Embraer 190 (capacity 97) on the Berlin route. It was very civilised and comfortable.
It is good to be in a familiar setting for this relax and recover phase, and I chose to return to the Airbnb flat I used in May. Apart from being ideal inside, the location is great just 5 minutes walk from Kala (the Old Town) or the Freedom Square metro station if venturing further.
Because I spent quite a bit of time in the city in May, I feel no great urge to get out exploring. I can revisit places I enjoy if I want to, but it is great to just take my time and do nothing when it suits me.
Getting away from work is good news. Whilst I enjoy 80% of it, and I have no career ambitions to put myself under pressure, it can be very intensive.
Escaping Brexit is not possible, but being 1,700 miles from home does help!
Being away from home also reminds me how easy it is to live under the permanent shadow of the task list – or lists in my case. Even if I am 100% relaxing at home, I always have those outstanding itms on the lists somewhere in the back of my mind.
ⓒ iain taylor, 2019
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